VIERA, Fla. — In their ongoing quest to add more pitching depth, the Nationals have signed veteran right-hander Chris Young to a minor-league contract.

Young, 33, will report to big-league camp and should have a chance to pitch in Grapefruit League games, but is almost certainly headed to the Opening Day rotation at Class AAA Syracuse.

A former All-Star with the Padres, Young’s career has been saddled in recent years by shoulder injuries. He appeared in only eight total games between 2010-11 but bounced back last year to make 20 starts for the Mets, going 4-9 with a 4.15 ERA.

The towering, 6-foot-10 Young remains a sinkerball specialist and saw his velocity creep back into the high 80s late last season in New York.

Overall, Young owns a 53-43 record and 3.79 ERA in 159 career starts with the Rangers, Padres and Mets.

Faraz – Didn't DeRosa go to an Ivy? Maybe Penn? Not a pitcher, but a "former" Nat and a smart school. Some of our guys, pitchers and position players actually finished a number of years of college – I think both of the Zimmermen have 3 years in — and RZim went to UVA, another smart school. There are some bright, articulate guys in that clubhouse.

Yet another powerful statement (along with Haren's willingness to sign a one-year deal and Soriano taking a big deferred dollar contract) of how attractive a team the Nats have become for FAs. A decent replacement-level pitcher like Young willing to take an MiLB contract when he has no chance of competing to get on the 25-man and is purely organizational insurance?How do you like them apples, Weird Wuss??!!!

MLB guys have no clue sometimes. Going on about our need for a lefty reliever, without being aware of the organizational philosophy or seeing stats of rhp versus lefty hitters. It appears to be the Nats choice. I have no doubt that if Rizzo thought we needed it, it would have happened.

From Kilgore: "Micah Owings, the first baseman who is converting from pitcher, has not been throwing or taking full batting practice. The Nationals injected dye into his shoulder for an MRI exam, which has held him back for a few days. He is expected to be fine to return to full participation."But I thought the enhanced MRI was no fuss, no muss, no worse than a regular MRI. We were told that Danny Espinosa could have had the enhanced MRI last September and missed no time. Seems we were lied to. I hate it when we're lied to. Don't you?

Right. The so-called medical experts here said that when Danny Espinosa was given the MRI that revealed a bone bruise last September, he should have been given an enhanced MRI because it is no more invasive than a regular MRI. But he missed no time for that regular MRI, whereas Micah Owings is missing a few days while he's getting an enhanced MRI. Clearly those so-called medical experts are lying to us when they say Danny could have gotten an enhanced MRI with no loss of playing time. Get it?

I am confused. Kilgore is reporting that Haren was lights out and Davey was asking him to back off. I thought I read from posters that they were "worried" about Haren' s first outing. Again, don't worry, be happy

"No knock on any of our guys but imo it's possible to be bright and articulate without having attended an Ivy League school."George Washington had the equivalent of a home-schooled 6th grade education. Andrew Jackson never went to school – there weren't any where he grew up – and he was an orphan at 12. They did pretty well, as did Abe Lincoln (never went to law school) and Harry Truman (never went to college).You can learn a lot in the school of hard knocks. Those guys sure did.

I thought Haren looked very good yesterday. NatsJack was watching with me and thought his pitches from the stretch were up a bit. All of the individual instruction I have seen Davey give has been to our new nats. I think it is just learning the Davey way.